The AC-130J Ghostrider is a turboprop-powered, high-endurance, fixed-wing aerial gunship operated exclusively by the United States Air Force. It is a heavily modified variant of the Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando II, a special operations variant of the company’s C-130J Super Hercules. The Ghostrider is a next-generation platform developed based on a long lineage of Air Force gunships dating back to the Vietnam War. It is piloted by two and has an additional six crewmembers: two combat systems officers and four special mission aviators. It is armed with several weapon systems and can perform a wide spectrum of mission sets. The Air Force operates a total of 37 AC-130J Ghostrider gunships.
The airframe from which the AC-130J Ghostrider is based is one of military aviation’s most capable multi-role aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules. The Super Hercules is an advanced iteration of the C-130 Hercules, the prototype of which, the YC-130, took its maiden flight on August 23, 1954. The C-130J Super Hercules took its first flight on April 5, 1996, and it entered service in 1999.
The militaries of several nations operate the C-130J, including those of the United States, France, Kuwait, Germany, and Italy. The aircraft has been used in several conflicts, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The C-130J can perform several missions, including troop and cargo transport, aerial refueling, aerial resupply, airborne command and control, special operations, medical evacuation, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) collections, and special operations.
The C-130J features a high-mounted main wing, a retractable tricycle undercarriage, a traditional empennage, and a rear loading / unloading ramp system. It has a fully pressurized hold, advanced digital flight controls and avionics, and dual pilot flight stations with color multi-function displays and head-up displays. It can carry up to 92 passengers, 64 paratroops, 72 litters, and has a total payload of 42,000 pounds.
The C-130J measures 97 feet, 9 inches in length, stands 38 feet, 10 inches tall, and has a wingspan of 132 feet, 7 inches. It is powered by four wing-mounted Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines that each produce up to 4,637 shaft horsepower and turn 6-blade, composite, fully-feathering, reversible propellers. The Super Hercules has a range of 2,100 miles, a service ceiling of 28,000 feet above sea level, a cruise speed of 400 miles per hour, and a maximum speed of 417 mph.
The MC-130J Commando II, from which the AC-130J Ghostrider is directly based, is a special operations variant of the C-130J. Lockheed Martin makes several modifications to the base C-130J Super Hercules airframe to create the MC-130J Commando II, including adding an advanced flight station, enhanced navigation and communications systems, and other specialized systems. The MC-130J Commando II is used for missions including clandestine troop insert and extraction, resupply, and a spectrum of low-level flight operations. The AC-130J Ghostrider is based directly on the MC-130J Commando II and not the C-130J Super Hercules because many systems required for the Ghostrider are already incorporated into the MC-130J.
To create the AC-130J Ghostrider, Lockheed Martin incorporates a “Precision Strike Package” into the MC-130J. This includes a mission management console, an enhanced communications suite with special radios for speaking directly with multiple ground / maritime units, two electro-optical / infrared sensors, and advanced fire control equipment. The aircraft is armed with a GAU-23/A 30mm automatic cannon and a modified M102 105mm howitzer and can carry a range of precision guided munitions, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, AGM-176 Griffin missiles, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, GBU-69 Small Glide Munitions, and the GBU-44/B Viper Strike munitions.
With its robust suite of sensors, communications capabilities, and weapon systems, the AC-130J Ghostrider can perform a broad range of missions. These include close air support (CAS), interdiction, armed reconnaissance, strike coordination and reconnaissance (SCAR), intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data collections, command and control (C2), and communications link.
